After we have had our visit to Midway White Beach Resort in Initao, Misamis Oriental, we then headed to Laguindingan of this Province to visit the on-going construction of the Laguindingan International Airport Project.

As a Civil Engineer by profession, the project is observed to be in between 75-85% complete as of September, last month. The project has two major components and they are civil works, navigation system and support facilities.

About P5.00 Billion of its fund was sourced out from the Korean Government and the P2.84 Billion was subsidized by the Philippine Government.

The Laguindingan International Airport is expected to be operational in January 2012. The new airport is designed to accommodate 1.6 million passengers a year and will be the international gateway to the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan corridor, touted to be a major growth area, according to the source. But in my own assessment, this project will be fully operational by October or last quarter of next year, 2012 at a conservative estimate.

This Laguindingan International Project is an Aerotropolis approach which was conceptualized by Ayala.In my research about Aerotropolis, it is an Urban Planning concept where infrastructure and the economy are concocted and centered on an airport and its connectivity; a major destination where air travelers and locals alike can work, shop, meet, exchange knowledge conduct business, and be entertained without going more than 20 minutes from the airport.

In other words, when you land and disembarked from the plane, you started to engage yourself into something that connects or links you and your business right from the doorstep of the airport terminal which you will not go beyond anymore outside the airport vicinity.

The Air Traffic Control Tower

Below are the infrastructures at focus;

The Airport Terminal Building

Along our way to this project, I have observed that there are already infrastructures outside the airport compound, whose construction are now in progress.

According to Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno,"Safety and integrity of the airport project will not be sacrificed even if there are delays in the completion".I agree with the Governor. Why hasten the completion?

Other observations are noted was, the travel time of the Bukidnon air travelers will be lengthened because of the new location and proximity of this airport once fully operational. As a tip or advise, better to go down day ahead of the scheduled flight. Other thing also is an opportunity to open up a transportation business in Bukidnon to cater air travelers to this international airport.

So, enjoy your con touring in this place once you happen to go to Iligan City or vice versa.

Actually, the Laguindingan International Airport is not part of the City of Cagayan de Oro but eventually, that would become part of Metro Cagayan de Oro someday.:-). Unless if this town will become a city.

I am really exited to see the new face of Laguindingan. Hope that this municipality will become a city soon and hoping this improvement could help those people living in that area who really affected since it started.